DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
D1 CN 113442836 A.(as evidenced by D3 DE 102019104465 A1 )
Regarding claim 1 D1 teaches
1. A work machine comprising:
a machine frame;(fig. 3 1100)
a component box(100) attached to a roof of the machine frame;(fig. 3)
a first lidar sensor(126) located at a front corner of the component box; and
a second lidar(127) sensor located at a back corner of the component box on an opposite side of the component box than the first lidar sensor.
wherein the second lidar sensor positioned to minimize any interference from the component box or the machine frame(126 faces opposite to 128 and hence minimizes interference )
but does not explicitly teach
second lidar sensor is mounted outside of the component box on a bracket extending from a back wall of a main body of the component box
Although D1 does not teach placement as claimed it is just a matter of simple placement of the components which is obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art. For example D3 teaches component box 102 in fig 3 with multiple different detectors such as 38 and one of them is attached on the back on a bracket extending from a back wall of a main body of the component box(see fig. 3)
10. A work machine comprising:
five cameras coupled to the component box to provide 360 degree visual coverage;(fig. 3)
wherein the five cameras include a first camera on a front corner of the component box, a second camera on an opposite front corner of the component box from the first camera, a third camera on one side surface of the component box, a fourth camera on a second side surface of the component box, opposite the third camera, and a fifth camera at a back end of the machine frame and coupled to the component box.(fig. 3)
although D1 does not explicitly teach
a fifth camera separate from the component box and mounted to the machine frame at a back end of the machine frame and coupled to the component box by a wire extending from the fifth camera to the component box. It is just matter of the placement of the detectors on the vehicle and can be considered simple design modification in order to achieve desired field of view and connection by the wire is just simple data/power communication means.
3. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the first and second lidar sensors are positioned so that there is a 360 degree lidar sensor coverage of an environment around the work machine when the work machine is unloaded.(fig. 3 and text 360 degree coverage)
4. The work machine of claim 1, further including a plurality of cameras coupled to the component box to provide visual coverage of an environment around the work machine.(fig. 3)
5. The work machine of claim 4, wherein the plurality of cameras include five cameras located to provide 360 degree coverage.( fig. 3)
6. The work machine of claim 5, wherein the five cameras include a first camera on a front corner of the component box, a second camera on an opposite front corner of the component box from the first camera, a third camera on one side surface of the component box, a fourth camera on a second side surface of the component box, opposite the third camera, and a fifth camera at a back end of machine frame and coupled to the component box.(fig. 3)
11. The work machine of claim 10, further including one or more lidar sensor on the component box.(fig. 3)
12. The work machine of claim 11, wherein the one or more lidar sensors includes a first lidar sensor located at a front corner of the component box; and
a second lidar sensor located at a back corner of the component box on an opposite side of the component box than the first lidar sensor.(fig. 3)
13. The work machine of claim 12, wherein the first and second lidar sensors are positioned so that there is a 360 degree lidar sensor coverage of an environment around the work machine when the work machine is unloaded.(fig. 3 and text)
Claim(s) 2, 7, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1.
Although D1 does not explicitly teach
2. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the first and second lidar sensors are the only lidar sensors on the component box.
It is just a matter of the design choice and sensor detection coverage choice.
7, 14 The work machine of claim 1, wherein the second lidar sensor is mounted on bracket extending from a back wall of a main body of the component box.(matter of design choice for easy mounting)
8, 15 The work machine of claim 1, further including a plurality of antennas on the component box arranged and positioned to avoid interference.(D1 teaches satellite antenna(32) but does not teach plurality antennas)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time of filing to modify teachings by D1 to use plurality antennas to set up communication, radio and other components.
Claim(s) 9, 16, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of D2 US 20170305360 A1 further in view of D5 US 20210029871 A1.
Regarding claim 9 D1 does not teach but D2 teaches
a machine frame;(fig. 3)
a component box attached to a roof of the machine frame; (fig. 3)
a first lidar sensor located at a front corner of the component box; (fig. 3)
a second lidar sensor located at a back corner of the component box on an opposite side of the component box than the first lidar sensor; (fig. 3)
five cameras located to provide 360 degree coverage, wherein the five cameras include a first camera on a front corner of the component box, a second camera on an opposite front corner of the component box from the first camera, a third camera on one side surface of the component box, a fourth camera on a second(fig. 3)
side surface of the component box, opposite the third camera, and a fifth camera at a back end of the machine frame and coupled to the component box; and(fig. 3)
9. The work machine of claim 8, wherein the plurality of antennas includes a first 2.4 GHz antenna mounted on a back end of the component box, a 900 MHz antenna positioned on a back end of the component box, a GPS receiver located on a bracket extending from a back surface of a main body of the component box, and a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi antenna located on the bracket extending from a back corner of the main body of the component box.[0028]
Although D1 does not teach D5 teaches
a stop function antenna positioned on a back end of the component box[0065]
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time of filing to modify teachings by D1 with teaching by D2 in order to establish positioning and communication with servers and further modify using teachings by D5 in order to include remote stop function.
Combination Discloses the invention except for operational frequencies of the RC antenna.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art, at the time of invention to modify apparatus by D1, since it has been held that the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum value involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272,205 USPQ 215(CCPA 1980).
18. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the first and second lidar sensors are the only lidar sensors on the component box.(Similar obviousness rejection as for claim2)
19. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the first and second lidar sensors are positioned so that there is a 360 degree lidar sensor coverage of an environment around the work machine when the work machine is unloaded.(fig. 3 and text)
20. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the second lidar sensor is mounted on bracket extending from a back wall of a main body of the component box.(obvious mounting design choice)
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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